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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25807915">Dress</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/keine_angst/pseuds/keine_angst'>keine_angst</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Peaky Blinders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ada-Centric, Character Study, Domestic, Gen, Only feelings, there's absolutely no plot to this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:15:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>788</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25807915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/keine_angst/pseuds/keine_angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Now that she's made peace with her feelings towards Jessie Eden, there was only one obstacle left.</em><br/>The dress.  </p><p> </p><p>(<em>written for the Peaky Blinders Rare Pair bingo challenge <em>)</em></em></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jessie Eden/Ada Shelby, past Ada Shelby/Freddie Thorne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Peaky Blinders Rare Pair Bingo 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>'domestic' prompt from <a href="https://keine-angst.tumblr.com/post/624914782883086336/i-signed-up-for-peaky-blinders-rare-pair-bingo">my bingo card</a> .</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The swooshing of the water and the clouds of steam were filling the bathroom. Pleasant, flowery smell of the lavender oil was soothing her nerves and chaotic, restless thoughts that were rushing through her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ada was standing in front of a mirror; its surface had fogged up already, therefore the only thing  she could see was her silhouette roughing out in the looking glass - and for that, she was grateful. She couldn't stand looking into her own eyes in that moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jessie was waiting for her already; Ada could hear her humming quietly as the water was filling up the bath. The curtain was closed, so Ada couldn't see her, but she could imagine Jessie was reclining in the water, her hair messy, her cheeks blushed from the hot steam . . .</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't a dream. It was all real, Ada knew that. Jessie had been living in her house for  several months now, after all. They had been sharing the living space; sharing bed; wearing each others' clothes, even. It was just a matter of time when a situation like this would occur. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now, when it was finally happening, Ada started doubting if she felt alright with it. Not because she wasn't sure about her feelings towards Jessie, but because she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so damn sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>about them that it mortified her to admit that. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(Ada had a rough time coming to terms with the fact that however she would like to call her relationship with Jessie, the word "love" should be involved. Once she accepted that, everything became easier. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And tougher. )</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that she's made peace with her feelings towards Jessie Eden, there was only one obstacle left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pieces of fabric sewn together to cover a woman's body; to hide its allure from unsought gazes;  to enforce some decency into this godless, sinful world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The prospect of nudity didn't scare Ada; what scared her, however, was that under this dress there was a vulnerable soul that she wasn't quite ready to bare yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dress was a gift; Freddie bought it for her shortly after they had got married. Red. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The colour of revolution. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Freddie hadn't missed any opportunity to tell his wife how beautiful she looked when wearing it; Ada would always smile at that. She wasn't vain, by any means, but who doesn't like to receive compliments?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(Jessie had never told her she was beautiful. She didn't have to. The way she was looking at Ada was enough to understand she cared. The words weren't necessary.)</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ada touched the first button; her fingers were shivering. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What would Freddie say if he could see her now? What would he think of what she was going to do?  </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been feeling safe around Freddie; she felt safe around Jessie. What was the difference between her old love and her new love, the difference that kept her awake at night? What made her linger so much with Jessie, keep her distance, disallow herself to accept the love and understanding Jessie was ready to give her? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since she had lost Freddie, her idea of happiness had changed. She has always associated it with her husband; when he passed away, her world narrowed down to Karl and to Karl only. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The way Jessie stirred her heart and made her feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> again was still overwhelming to her. Ada couldn't get used to the fact that even though she was still wearing the dress </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> bought her and putting </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> son to bed every night, it wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> who was falling asleep next to her, it wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> who was waking her up with a kiss; not </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> who was calling her "sweetheart", and "love". </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smoothed the dress; the fabric felt soft under her fingertips. (</span>
  <em>
    <span>How many times had Freddie helped her button it up, placing a kiss at her forehead while doing it? How many times he had told her how beautiful she looked in red? How many times had he taken this dress off her and tossed it carelessly to the ground, while they were making out?)</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ada," Jessie's voice issued from behind the curtain, soothing and calm, "are you coming? Water's going to get cold."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ada swallowed hard, bringing her hand back to the buttons of her dress. "Just a second," she answered, and she prayed Jessie didn't catch the nervous hint in her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no reason to dwell upon the past; no reason to feel bad just because she felt good, here and now, with a woman she loved and a woman who loved her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was time she moved on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ada unbuttoned the dress and let it slip off her shoulders and fall to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn't afraid anymore.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6c2NjtyXLHsNInlJjSIzVa?si=kaCmqbvlSHGc8yR-vEYojw">Jessie/Ada playlist</a>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://keine-angst.tumblr.com/">say hi to me on tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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